Do you believe your next big break will happen by accident? That a dream customer will show up with a shoebox full of money just because you thought about it hard enough?
You’ve been in business long enough to know that’s not how it works. The truth is, there’s one skill most of us avoid that we need to practice more. That skill is asking for what we want.
Asking shows up everywhere in your business. You see it in sales meetings. At networking events. When you're trying to land exposure as a content creator. When you're pitching a partnership to someone with influence. On the surface, it seems simple. Just say, “I’d like a sale,” or “Would you consider buying?” But when the moment comes, it gets hard.
As soon as we start to say what we want, doubt creeps in. We worry it might come off as pushy. We wonder if it sounds too aggressive. So we soften it. We hint at it. We talk around it. Anything to avoid saying it directly.
But here’s something worth remembering. People think about us much less than we imagine.
It feels like everyone is watching what we say and do, but they’re not. They’re focused on their own priorities. Unless you look them in the eye and clearly say, “This is what I need,” they’re probably not even thinking about it. The moment you ask, you make it real. You give them something to consider. And sometimes, something to say yes to.
Whether it's a sale, a partnership, a referral, or just a next step, it all starts by asking.
The good news? You can practice. Start today.
Here’s a quick example. My wife and I were traveling recently, and one of our flights got canceled. We had to stay overnight in a connecting airport. When we got home, I was venting about the whole experience. Our travel advisor asked a simple question: “Did you ask the airline for compensation?”
It hadn’t even occurred to me. But I reached out. Explained what happened. And they responded quickly with a big credit of miles. They were happy to do it. I just had to ask.
It was a small thing. But a perfect reminder.
